Devon is finally a newborn!

Our little daughter is out of the "premie" stage and is now graduated to being an infant! It's strange to think that she is already 2 months old, but she is just now at the physical stage of a newborn baby. For that reason, our doctor told me not to be surprised if she is also behind in the other areas of development. Still, she is growing well, and below are her stats from her doctor's appointment last week.

Age: 2 months
Weight: 7 lbs. 12 oz.
Length: 21 1/4 in.
Head Circumference: 14 in.

Devon is even tempered, I think, until it comes to a really full diaper or a really empty stomach. She is very alert when awake. I read to her when I feed her; she benefits from that even at her age. I've also started nursing her! Before, I was pumping her milk and giving it to her in a bottle. Last week, I thought I would try nursing her, and she took right to it! Now, I don't have to pump all day just to feed our baby, only on occasions where I need food for a babysitter. That made me very happy!

Oh, and one more thing to note. Chris and I almost regret spelling her name with an "o" instead of an "i". We were told that spelling with an "o" is most common for girls. However, there have been a few times already when someone pronounced her name "Dev-ON", not "Dev-IN". I hope I don't have to correct people (in a subtle way) too often. :)

Playing in the Backyard

We recently had a fence built around our backyard. According to our subdivision covenants, if we were to have a fence, it would need to be a 6 ft. privacy (wood) fence. It is finally done, and now our kids can play in the backyard without running off too far. I can easily keep my eye on them whether I'm outside with them or inside the house. Below is a picture of the kids getting dirty. (Paige is the little speck by the fence.)

Our cutie is covered in dirt! Oh well. Let them be little.








This handsome little man is also covered in dirt. And later, he tracked it into our house!






Devon is doing very well. She eats, sleeps, and poops. She is not too difficult to take care of, but I am always watching her to make sure she is okay. It seems as though she is growing; I know her appetite is! I will have more stats on her later, after her next doctor's appointment which is the first week in May.

Our little miracle. She is such a joy and blessing. And I guess the other kids are, too. :) Just kidding!





Wow, I can't believe I have three kids. Three wonderful, awesome, amazing kids. That many children and a house is a lot of work and responsibility. Chris and I are a great team, though, so we handle it well. At least I think so.

Our Little Miracle

On March 9th, I had a little accident. Around 1:30 p.m., my water broke. I was doing some cleaning after getting the kids to nap. In the middle of my duties, I felt some leaking, more than a normal accidental amount.

That's strange, I thought.

So, I went to the bathroom and pulled up my pants only to feel more leakage afterwards.

Something's not right, I continued.

After another round of leaking, I called my doctor's office. I left a message and called Chris who also did not answer me right away. While I waited for a response, I kept cleaning, hoping it was no big deal. The doctor's office called me back, and after I had explained the situation, they told me to go to Labor and Delivery to determine if my water broke. Chris called me right after I had talked to the doctor's office and came over to the house as soon as he could. I was only babysitting Easton that day, and he was picked up not too long after Chris arrived at the house. I normally watch him and Enzo on Tuesdays, but since Enzo's grandparents were in town, I didn't have to watch him that day. It's the only Tuesday I haven't watched Enzo! Similar situations and blessings have followed us along the journey.

Chris and I dropped our kids off at Grandma and Papa's, and then we hurried over to Labor and Delivery. It was confirmed that my water broke, and I would be spending all of my time at the hospital until Devon was born. My OB/GYN said it could be 24 hours or 24 days, nothing was really certain. After 2 ultrasounds and 2 days in the PCU, my doctor and a neonatologist determined that Devon should come soon. Although she had a good heartbeat, she absolutely would NOT move during each ultrasound, even after much poking and prodding. Between the ultrasounds, I had a contraction (which I didn't happen to feel), and Devon's heart rate actually dropped. So, it was determined that I would need a C-Section to give birth to our little girl; that way, we wouldn't be stressing her out.

On March 11th, 2010, at 12:18 p.m., Devon Crosby was born. She weighed 4 lbs. 13 oz. She's been in the NICU ever since but doing well. She doesn't need assistance breathing. She is now able to bottle feed, which I have done with her twice now. Chris and I do our best to see her at least once a day, usually in the evenings when she is scheduled for a feeding. She is our little miracle, and we are now an awesome family of 5! Thanks to everyone for your support and prayers!

And they grow, and they grow...

Last Thursday was a busy day of appointments but also accomplishments.

My OB/GYN appt. at 1:00: Our future baby girl, Devon, is doing quite well. She measured at about 4 lbs. and looks and sounds healthy. The ultrasound technician tried to get a picture of her face, but she wouldn't move her hand away. Still, we are looking forward to seeing what she looks like after she is born.

The kids' WIC appt. at 3:00: Nothing too exciting. Just re-certifying them in the program. I'm grateful for WIC as it helps with grocery expenses. :) Here are some stats for Micah and Paige:

Micah weighs 34.6 lbs, and he is 39 1/2 inches tall.
Paige weighs 23.2 lbs, and she is 31 5/8 inches tall.

I was hoping Micah would be somewhere near 40 lbs., so we could get him a booster seat for the car. But, he still has quite a ways to go. Paige is a lightweight as well. Her cousin, who is 9 months younger, is only about 2 lbs. lighter! Crazy!

Paige's doctor appt. at 4:00: The most frustrating part of the day was around this point. My WIC appt. went on and on. I called the doctor's office around 3:45 to let them know she would probably be late. Finally, the WIC appt. concluded and overlapped Paige's other appt., and I was rushing the kids to go across the street where I thought the doc's office was. Well, it turns out they had moved...to the building I had just come from! So, I scrambled them back into the car to go to where I had once just been. We were 45 minutes late, and I was pretty panicky. I did NOT want to make another appt.! So, I rushed to the check-in desk to find out...

...that since I had made that phone call, they were expecting me late, and I could still keep Paige's appt. Thank goodness! I was so relieved that even Micah running around and not listening to me didn't bother me. :) Lesson learned: When scheduling appointments, do NOT set them only an hour apart, even if they are both in the same building.

What happens after the kids go to bed.....

I know what all of your are thinking...  And I wish it was true..  but the truth of the matter is.  Once the kids go to bed at 8:30 we start the list.  Yes the list that consists of all the chores around the house that are impossible to do with kids under your feet.

Last night...  Hang pictures
Tonight... Change kitty litter and burnt out light bulbs, start laundry... you get the point.

Once we get our projects done, Jen and I try to spend some time together by watching TV or a Movie ect.  When I say Jen and I... I really mean, me.  Once the show starts you only have to wait 5-10 minutes and Jen is OUT COLD!  Trying to get her to wake up afterwords is like getting Sarah Palin to say something intelligent.  

Tonight for example, I love Ghost Hunters and Man Vs Food.  They are both on TV Wednesday nights.  Those are our Wednesday night shows.  We site down to watch and 8 minutes later...  Jen is sawing logs.  Man Vs Food was a rerun, but we both wanted to watch how they make a sandwich that has Fried Chicken, Onion Rings, Mozzarella Sticks, Potato Wedges, Hamburger Patties, and to top it off..  Mac and Cheese!  (I will post pics when we make it)  I woke Jen up to help me remember the ingredients so we can make it some day.  She said she was awake.  They constructed the work of deliciousness and I turned to Jen who was asleep again.  Like any good husband..  I woke her up and said "Hey!  What was on the sandwich?"  She looked at me and said, "Mac and Cheese" then feel back asleep..  It was pretty funny.

Needless to say, Jen turns into a zombie after 9pm.  She will look you in the eye and promise she will stay awake and in the same breath fall asleep.  I have seen her do it.

Hello 2010!

After reading my friend e's blog today.  She called me a LAME-O!  I realized I do need to blog more often. It's the start of a new year and I'm going to blog my little heart out. 

I have several goals for this year.  I always talk big, but this year I am going to live big.  I guess it shouldn't be to hard..  I am a pretty big guy.

Goals for 2010
1. Write and preform a stand-up comedy act.
2. Lose 60 pounds (I hope before my 10 year high school reunion)
3. Take a picture everyday.
4. Blog at least twice a week.
5. Be a better Dad and Husband.

I am going to work hard on doing these things, and I plan on reporting to everyone in my blog posts on how I am doing. 

When I was in school, we were given a project to do a week long photo journal.  I kept it here on my blog.  I am going to do a photo journal one week out of every month.  I love photography and feel like I am good at it.. but I have not been able to do much after college.  No more excuses!  Be looking for that first post starting next week.

And The Tie-Breaker

We are expecting another girl! Chris and I went to an ultrasound appointment last Wednesday. All is as it should be; the baby seems very healthy. The only trouble we have is picking out a name.

What should the name of our baby girl be?